The state that abstained from voting for the Declaration of Independence was New York. During the Second Continental Congress, delegates from the thirteen colonies met to discuss the growing tensions with Great Britain and the possibility of declaring independence.
New York’s delegates were initially uncertain about the idea of independence. They faced pressure from both loyalists and revolutionaries, and their instructions from the New York Provincial Congress were to seek reconciliation with Britain rather than to push for independence. As a result, when the vote was taken on July 2, 1776, New York’s delegates chose to abstain rather than cast a vote against or for the motion.
This decision to abstain was significant as it highlighted the division among the colonies regarding the issue of independence. The Declaration was ultimately adopted on July 4, 1776, but New York’s abstention reflected the cautious stance of some colonies at that pivotal moment in American history.